The New York Giants are trying to make the ground game a focus in the 2014 offseason. The Giants were hoping to have one of the top running back tandems in the league last season with David Wilson and Andre Brown, but fumbles and injuries prevented that from happening. While New York's offense needs plenty of upgrades before the next football season, general manager Jerry Reese has running backs on the brain.
Reese is aware that Wilson cannot be relied on as a full-time starter. The running back suffered a career-threatening neck injury that required surgery. While Wilson stresses that his rehab is going fine and he will be back at 100 percent to start the new year, Reese has said he has no plans of putting all his eggs in the Wilson basket. New York continued to bring on free agents throughout the year to simply put a band-aid on their issues and now the team is ready to acquire someone who can be counted on to run and pass-block for quarterback Eli Manning.
The New York Daily News reports the Giants are targeting both Ben Tate and James Starks in free agency. Brown is on his way out. Peyton Hillis will not be back and Michael Cox is not ready to be a starter. While the team might also look towards the draft for depth, the Daily News reports a free agent is the first priority.
Tate shows the most promise out of the group. He spent most of his time in Texas as a backup to Arian Foster. However, last season he looked poised to get more of the carries as he and Foster actually competed for the starting spot. Tate finished the year with 771 yards and four touchdowns while also putting up another 140 yards receiving. He is an all-around back that excels in pass blocking.
Starks could be a solid option. The fifth-year back has some injury history and some wear and tear, but he can still be a solid runner when healthy. Starks lost his starting spot to Eddie Lacy last season, but his history with new offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo could serve him well considering the two worked together in Green Bay.
Starks has never survived a full 16-game season which is certainly a red flag. Tate could be expensive. The running back has stressed he is ready for a starting role and will likely want to get paid for it. Ahmad Bradshaw could be a solid option for the team if healthy while Darren McFadden is also available.